From: lethin@ai.mit.edu (Rich Lethin)
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 95 09:22:43 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Global Filesystem Guild
Message-ID: <9502101722.AA04330@grape-nuts>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



To reduce the vulnerability of a single user/BBS to having their files
confiscated/stolen, could a distributed WAN filesystem be implemented with
k-redundancy, e.g. the files wouldn't disappear until k servers (located in
various unknown or inaccessible places) failed?  The price of storage would
vary with the level of redundancy desired.  For security the servers would
only store cyphertext, etc.  Local cacheing to reduce network load.

Andrew File System (from Transarc/IBM) implements the distributed
filesystem and namespace and some security, but not the redundancy for RW
files. (And it's not shareware).

Issues:
Quota management.
Pricing (for space or time)
Security: (only store cyphertext?)
Ownership: (who gets to delete files?)
...

Sort of the next level beyond SecureFS?